Sleigh-truck



(No Model.)

v (LM. SPENCER.

SLEIGH TRUCK.

No. 469,507. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

I) an d av Withesses, Inventor;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL M. SPENCER, OF ST. JOHNSBURY, VERllIIONT.

SLElGH-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent.No. 469,507, dated February23, 1892. Application filed October 19, 1891. Serial No. 409,11 i. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL M. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Johnsbury, in the county of Caledonia and State ofVermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleigh-Trucks, of which the followingis a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in trucks, and is designedparticularly for use in connection with sleighs for transferring themfrom one place to another. The great difficulty experienced in liftingsleighs'when desired to move them from one part of a barn or warehouseto another portion is well known, and also the amount of powernecessary-to be exerted in dragging the same across the ground or floor;and it is the object of my invention to provide a truck upon which therunners can be placed and the sleigh transferred, with but aslightexpenditure of power, to any desired locality.

Heretofore many trucks for moving various machines from one place toanother have been designedsuch,,for example, as those for transferringharvesters from one portion of a field to another, as well as fornumerous other purposes; but never, so far as I am aware, has a truck ofsimilar construction or for a similar purpose as mine been proposed. Allthese devices are, however, of rather complicated construction andobjectionable by reason of the great amount of space occupied, while myapparatus is exceedingly simple and takes up a minimum amount of room.

My invention therefore consists in the matters hereinafter described andreferred to in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a View of two of my trucks placed in position for use. Fig.2 is a perspective of one of the trucks. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionshowing the means for holding the sleigh-runners. Figs. 4 and 5 areviews similar to Fig. 3, showing modifications.

In the drawings I have shown the invention as applied to a sleigh, andforsuch use I have particularly designed it; but it will be obvious thatit might be applied to other artioles which it is desired to move fromone place to another.

Referring by letter to the drawings, Arepresents a sleigh supported bymy trucks. The truck 0 consists of two pieces of wood a and I) joined atright angles. In one end of longitudinally-extending piece I) and oneach end of the piece a are placed caster-wheels e. The upper part ofthe piece bis provided with a longitudinal groove (:1, the sides a ofsaid grooves tapering on one side toward the top,

7 thereby making the groove beveled, as shown in cross-section in Fig.3). Each runner is dropped into the groove of a truck, and the sleighcan then, by means of the caster-wheels on the trucks 0, be moved fromone place to another, the weight of the sleigh preventing the runnersbeing drawn out of the truck when pushed or pulled over an uneven flooror from one building to another.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown modifications of the arrangement forsecuring the truck upon the runner.

Referring first to Fig. 4., the longitudinal piece 1), instead of beingmade in one and joined to or made integral with the piece a, as is thepiece a, (shown in Fig. 2,) is joined in the center by means of thehinge f, the piece a being also made in two parts and hinged together.It will be understood, of course, that the pieces a and b may beseparately formed and secured first to each other and then hinged to thecorresponding parts,

, or each part a b may be formed in one piece and then hinged to theother part a Z2. The two pieces b b and 0. a are both cut away, so thatwhen placed togethera beveled groove will be formed, in which the runnerwill rest and be held, the weight of the sleigh keeping the parts closedand the sides of the grooves pressed against the runners.

In Fig. 5, instead of providing the part longitudinal piece I) with thebeveled groove d, I secure upon the upper side thereof two or moreclips, as may be necessary, to firmly secure the runner to the truck, as9, having sides of spring metal flaring at the top to allow of the readyinsertion of the runner, the latter being held in position by pressureof the spring sides against it. It will be seen that when one of thetrucks 0 is applied to each of the runners of the sleigh, the same canbe moved from place to place without difficulty, and when the transferhas been made the two trucks can be taken off the runners and put awayin a comparatively small space.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,is

1. A truck for sleighs and the like, comprising a suitable frame andsupport-ingwheels therefor, said frame being provided with a groove forthe reception of the vehicle, substantially as described.

2. A truck for sleighs and the like, comprising a suitable frame havingsupportingwheels and composed of the longitudinal and transverse piecesI) a, the longitudinal piece I) being provided with a groove in whichthe runner fits, substantially as described.

3. A truck for sleighs and the like, comprising a suitable frame havingsupportingwheels and composed of longitudinal and transverse pieces, thelongitudinal piece having a groove adapted for the reception of therunner, the sides of said groove being formed of spring material andadapted to clamp the runner between the same, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in 30 presence of twowitnesses.

CARL M. SPENCER. Nitnesses:

WM. (J. TYLER, OHAs. H. HORTON.

